Gardening tip: I also grow tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, cucumbers, and onions. Most vegetables grow best in well-drained soil.

However, since I live in the Central Valley of California (South San Joaquin –Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare, Kern County), and it dryer here, (we just came out of a six-year drought), some of the things we do here might not be quite right for your region.

Like planting in a hole.

Recently I and my family moved into town. I have a raised bed for my garden and I’m only allowed to water twice a week.

Water is a big issue, so I found planting in a hole will keep the soil around my plant’s roots moist. Everything else is mulch as much as possible to help hold in the moisture.

As you can hopefully see from the photos of my garden, my peppers and tomatoes are all planted into holes and staked. Staking I also recommend, since it will keep your plant up out of the dirt, your fruit clean, and viruses like the Mosaic leaf virus at bay.

Since this is a book blog hop, I’ll also post a blurb and excerpt from my last book, Alien Heart.

Blurb: Divorcee and single mom, hardworking Audrey Westberry is the host of a cable TV show called Miz Fixit.
Romance was the last thing on Audrey’s mind when two handsome extraterrestrials join the audience of her show.
Soon Audrey finds out a single word “mated” has different meaning when you are born a galaxy away. After a wonderful night of passion, Audrey finds herself far from home, impregnated and her life turned upside down.
Will she ever be able to leave the alien compound, see her son again, or get home in time to film the fall season of her Miz Fixit show?
But what’s a girl to do with two aliens that smell like candy, and their kisses taste like it, too?

Excerpt:

“Greetings,” said the tall man on her stoop, with a delightfully deep voice and a slight English lilt.

He wore blue jeans and a dark purple long-sleeved shirt. He had one of those legionnaire’s caps with a piece of cloth that covered the back of the head and his ears. A pair of wraparound sunglasses hid his eyes. The only clue to his identity was the hint of lavender in the hollow of his neck and cheeks, which the reflection of the shirt couldn’t account for.

“Keefe?”

He slipped off his glasses as he grinned at her. “Yes, are you ready for our date?”

“Just about.” Letting him in, Audrey took a deep breath, taking his vanilla scent deeply into her lungs. Suddenly, she wanted to see his skin and had two of his buttons undone, before she quite realized what she was doing. “Uh—sorry, your shirt looked too tight. You had all the buttons done up to the top.” She opened the collar a bit. “That’s better isn’t it?” God, she so wanted to kiss his exposed throat.

His touch felt wonderful. Her face heated as she turned away. What’s the matter with me? Trying to hide her confusion, she gestured toward the dining table, the stack of bills and her laptop. “I just have to finish this. Where are we going?”

“It’s still early. We could go to the zoo.”

Oh good, the zoo would be an easy date. “Okay, sounds great. Just give me a few minutes, so I can change and get some comfortable shoes on.”

His eyes lit up at the sight of the produce piled on her table. “Are those vegetables from your garden?”

“Yes, did you know about my garden from my show?”

“You did a spot on how to start a garden, and filmed it right back here.” He walked to her sliding back glass door to peek out. “Your garden is bigger now.”

“Yes, it is.” Audrey smiled, but her gaze lingered on his muscular ass. Her hands itched to caresses—no pinch his butt. “I hate to tell you this, but those segments cost me my neighbors.” Back to work, she told herself, taking a seat. “They hated all the trucks blocking the street, and let me know about it too.”

Determined to distract herself, she started going through her bills.

“What are you doing there?” He walked back then looked over her shoulder.

God, he smells wonderful. I’m not going to be able to concentrate with him so close. “I’m going through my bills, setting them up to be paid through my online bank’s billing system. It saves time, paper, stamps and a tree.”

“Are your checks automatically deposited?”

“Yes, it’s another way to save a tree.” She hit the pay button, waited until it went through then turned off the computer. “Okay, I’m done. I just have to change.”

“Would you mind if I help myself to your produce?” He gestured toward the table.

“Did you take your enzymes?”

“Yes, but I didn’t have enough time to eat breakfast. Paz watched late night movies, and kept us awake all night.” He actually rolled his eyes. “And I slept through the alarm because of it.”

Chuckling, she pictured him in bed with a pillow over his head. Oh shit, naked. She bit her bottom lip at the image. “What kind of TV did they have?”

“There’s cable and satellite TV at our suite, which we don’t have at our domicile.”

“Paz must have been in hog heaven.”

“Uh?” He looked a little blank. “He was happy, but Blade and I weren’t. All I had time for this morning was a shower and a piece of toast before my taxi arrived. The enzymes should still be effective for a little longer.”

The very thought of Keefe naked in a shower had Audrey crossing her legs, tightly. “Well, sure, help yourself. I won’t be long.”

Audrey hurried to her room, shut the door and leaned against it, sighing with relief. I got to control myself, or I’ll be tearing Keefe’s clothes off his body. No-no, now I’m imagining that too.

Click here to enter your link for the grand prize and view this Linky Tools list…

Winners will be posted on both the first (Dianne Venetta) and last

(BloominThyme) websites.

*Prize from Janice Seagraves*

This beautiful butterfly necklace will go to one lucky commenter.

It is similar in design to the one that Keefe gives Audrey in Alien Heart.

The value is no more than five dollars. The prize for those living in the USA or Cannada. If you win and reside outside of this area, a gift card will be substituted and sent via email. The value worth no more than five dollars USA currency.

For the prize: Please leave a comment and answer these two questions. What is your favorite thing about spring, and what is your favorite romance genre?

I love this book from the start. I saw it promoted and just read a snippet but missed my chance to buy it. And then I saw another promo, I snapped it up and I’m glad I did.

There is something about the novel, a feeling I wish I could convey through the stories I write. It grabbed me and moved me.

My Name Is A’yen is the start of a series.

A’yen is a slave, a Loks Mé. And like all Loks Mé, A’yen is tall, over six feet, broad-shouldered, extremely handsome with multifaceted blue eyes.

As the story opens, we find out A’yen’s master was murdered right in front of him. Heartbroken he is placed in holding awaiting his turn to be sold as part of his beloved master’s property. While in holding he’s been severely abused.

Enter Farran. She believes the Loks Mé once lived on the Rim and is determined to prove it. And win A’yen’s trust. She buys him and takes him with her.

But she’s a breeder’s daughter and can’t be trusted.

Programmed by his DNA to protect her, A’yen does what he can to defend his mistress on the planet on the Rim, even if it cost him his life.

As each discovery found in the ruins is weighed and measured, A’yen gets more and more tortured. His distracted mistress misses the signs until it is nearly too late to save him.

The entire book is an emotional rollercoaster as it finds ties with the past to the present.

What surprised me was that A’yen has a family. I’m not even sure why that surprised me, but it did.

Follow Me

Year of the Cat

Haunted by the loss of his parents, Jared Catterick earns his keep working for the Catclaw Clan. But, once he finds out the truth he runs to his one true mate, Morgan, who he had met while she was on holiday.
When his past and present collide, it’s worse than he imagined and he’s forced to fight for his life.

Exodus Arcon: Prelude to Book 1 Alien Heart: Chronicles of Arcon

Alien Heart (Book 1 in the Chronicles of Arcon)

Matrix Crystal Hunters

Matrix Crystal Christmas

Matrix Crystal River

Matrix Crystal Rebels

Windswept Shores

Two strangers wash up on the same windswept shores. Will they survive and can they fall in love?